To The Past You
by Killing perfection's lover
Summary: Post Final Act of Inuyasha and Ulquiorra's death. Stuck in the future after her journey is complete, Kagome is left unsatisfied. When a strange male makes his way into her otherwise boring life, she finds they're more similar than she thought. Clinging to the past, the two turn to one another to pick up the pieces of what could have been.
1. Beginnings

(A/N: I know the English translations for this part vary greatly and may not line up with what you know, but I went with the one that seemed the most fitting for this story.)

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or Bleach

Chapter One: Beginnings

Humans were strange beings. It was a fact Ulquiorra had known for quite some time, idly observing throughout the years in his time with Aizen.

He didn't understand their ideals. Their concept of morality. He simply accepted them to be foolish entities.

It was proven right time and time again. Until he met those two. The soul reaper and the healer. Interactions with them were interesting, thought-provoking even.

He remained steadfast in his mentality. Perhaps that's why things had fallen too quickly out of his favor.

Ichigo had won.

Turning his eyes to the orange haired female that had started everything, he felt an odd sense of attachment rise within. He wasn't scared. He didn't know how to fear death, but it bothered him that this was the last he'd ever see of her.

She was brash at times, stubborn even, and had held onto her hope throughout everything. Everything about her had been peculiar, from her powers to her soft tendencies in dealing with the adversities she had faced in Los Noches.

"Are you afraid of me, woman?"

It was different from the question he had asked before. She had no reason to be, not when Ichigo had already saved her. But he wanted to know. He wanted to hear what she thought after everything, as they both had been witness to it all.

"I'm not afraid."' A few tears accompanied this affirmation as she stared back at him, face obscured in emotion he couldn't comprehend.

Why was she sad? What reason did she have to cry?

"I'm not afraid," Orihime repeated, clenching her hands closer.

For someone who had been near death so many times, this struck him as almost relieving. The hand he had outstretched to her retracted, "I see…"

Humans were so very strange.

'Her heart…' He thought, watching her fail to grasp his fingertips, 'was right in my hands…'

* * *

" _Kagome, where are you?"_

Sidestepping behind a tree, Kagome closed her eyes. 'Not today Souta.' She thought, hearing him run by.

"Kagommeeeeee-?" He called, looking around worriedly.

'Please.' She pleaded, pressing her nails into the wood. 'Please just leave me alone.'

This continued on for some time before the smaller of the two sighed defeatedly. "I know you're out here!" He called out once more. "Mom came to visit, she's waiting at the house y'know!" When there came no reply, Souta mussed up his hair in exasperation. "…We'll wait for you."

When it was clear he was gone, the raven-haired girl stepped out. She wasn't happy. Far from it. Glancing down at her hands, she noted the scars on them. They had faded some but remained visible.

"…I want to go back." She whispered, clenching them closed.

Three years had gone by since the end of everything. She'd been back in her own time far longer than she cared.

Everything reminded her of them. It was why she just couldn't stand her family, as much as she loved them. She could barely stand being with Souta, despite her mother's insistence he go with her when she moved from Tokyo to the outskirts of a small town.

It would be good to have a familiar face around, she had reasoned. It was also the only way she would have allowed her eighteen-year-old daughter to live alone, even though it pained her mother to lose the two of them so soon.

But Kagome had been a mess the night she came home, screaming at the well house to let her go back. Souta first found her, having been outside practicing soccer. He called out to his mom and grandpa to go get her when she failed to listen to him. Eventually, everyone realized she could no longer go back in time, and it was over.

The change came three years after she had come home. Kagome had found an old-style apartment listing away from the shrine that she begged for. It was as if she finally realized this was the only thing she could do in the face of a depressing reality. To get away from it all.

Who was she to let her daughter suffer?

When she said yes, Kagome had set to packing everything away religiously. The home took some time to get but when it was secured, things seem to lighten. She just didn't expect that same detachment to extend to their family. Sending Souta to live his sister was the only thing she could think of that would help her daughter, if only a little.

Said daughter let out a shaky exhale. This was supposed to be a fresh start. What was she doing?

There was little time to debate on this as the air seemed to change.

"What is that?" She wondered aloud, feeling uneasy all over. Glancing up at the sky, where it seemed strongest, she noted the color of the changing sky.

"Rain?"

Something flickered in the distance. It didn't look like rain. But that's exactly what seemed to fall from the sky, crashing down in waves that stung her skin.

"What is this?" She shrieked, ducking underneath the protection of said tree. Peering closer, she saw the droplets were black, seeming to suck away all life from whatever it touched. The surrounding vegetation withered once it came into contact with the liquid.

The strange shower came to an end as quickly as it had come, leaving her to wonder what the hell just happened and why. However, the eerie sensation that had accompanied it had yet to fade. She stayed by the tree a while longer, wondering if it was safe to come out.

Concentrating her miko powers, she sent out a soft pulse of power. She didn't expect the pushback, weak as it was. Gasping, she felt a small tremor wrack her body as she gauged the aura.

It felt…demonic.

And she wanted to hope. Kagome was running in the direction of where the aura was before she knew.

Please.

Please.

 _Please._

When she broke through the clearing, her heart wanted to flop. It wasn't a demon.

It was something entirely else.

Laying in the withered grass, was a human? No, not a human. But not a demon either. She checked the surrounding area for any indication of what he could be, but all she could find was a sword haphazardly strewn a couple of feet away from him. Other than that, he looked to be almost dead.

Dread stirred in her stomach. Her first instinct was to help him, but she didn't know if he meant no harm. The earlier rain shower seemed to prove it.

But she was dying. This indecipherable mess was soothing, welcoming. It was familiar. And god knows Kagome wanted something other than this boring normality. It might not be the best idea, but she wanted it.

She had to act fast.

Stepping closer, she noted the wounds bombarding his body. No wonder he was almost dead, but no blood seemed to leak out.

"I've got to heal him." She affirmed, but she was hesitant. Would she hurt him? After all, demons hadn't taken kindly to her purification powers. "One way to find out I guess."

She searched his body for a small scratch of sorts, settling on one near his cheek. "A test run." Kagome reasoned to herself. Reaching out, she placed her hand on his cheek, feeling the smooth skin beneath her fingertips. So far so good.

"I'm sorry." She apologized in advance, letting her powers come undone.

* * *

Carrying his body back to the house was easier said than done. She almost wanted to call for Souta to help, but how was she supposed to explain this?

The man leaning against her was beautiful. His skin was pale and his hair dark. She would dare say he was the most handsome being she had ever laid eyes on, demons included. By now, the sky had darkened considerably. She was sure her mom would have left by now, and she was in for an earful from her little brother.

Best to avoid him for now.

Going back to her 'guest,' she was pleased to note he was in fact alive. He was quiet, however, even when she unleashed her powers to heal him. He did jerk a little when she did so but otherwise seemed to take to the healing properties.

She wondered if she could purify him if need be, but as he would be out for quite some time.

'I can always ask questions later.' She thought, grunting as she tried to unlock the door to her house as quietly as possible. There was a small moment of relief when the house remained quiet and no angry brothers came barreling down the steps.

Almost giddy, she helped the man into her room and shut the door. As messed up as it sounded, she liked the change of pace. 'My life is pretty weird.' A few more steps and she ungracefully dumped the man onto her bed. She doubted he would remember that.

Huffing, Kagome looked for a change of clothes. The ones she wore were stained black and they didn't look like they'd recover. "I liked those." She muttered angrily, looking through her closet. She cast a wayward glance at the sleeping male, wonder what exactly he was or why he was injured. It wasn't like she'd get answers now, so she settled for taking a look at his torn clothing.

'He needs a change of clothes.'

Pursuing her lips, she wondered how far the nearest store was. It wasn't like she or Souta carried any adult male clothing. 'Guess I'll have to go shopping.'

Taking one more wayward guess at the pale figure, she gathered her wallet and slipped out.


	2. Settling

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or Bleach

Chapter Two: Settling

He should have been dead.

Ichigo had undoubtedly destroyed his internal organs, he knew this. Those wouldn't regenerate. They shouldn't have. And yet, Ulquiorra knew without a doubt that he was alive. Well, as alive as an espada could be.

He wondered why he was in the human realm, resting in a bed no less. Nothing was making sense. A human shouldn't have been able to see him. The possibility of a soul reaper taking him in was ludicrous. So why exactly was he here?

He could see his sword resting against the side of a desk. Further investigation led him to realize this was a girl's room, and that there was a faint signature of a human being in the house. Whatever the case was, he could not linger.

Flash stepping out of the house was easy. It was with mild surprise he realized he was in Katakura town, but another part of him surmised this was a fitting return.

He cared little for lord Aizen. The ploy of the former captain meant nothing to him, and he'd only ever agreed because working for the man meant reducing everything into a void of nothingness. Since his defeat, he was sure he had outlived his usefulness.

As he pondered about his next move, flashes of grey eyes and orange hair arouse within his mind.

She lived here.

Part of him wanted to summon a garranta back to Huecho Mundo and confront her, but he quickly realized that wasn't an ideal solution. After all he had done, Ulquiorra doubted she would bother to welcome him into her life.

He would have continued his ponderings had it not been for the spiritual pressure he sensed nearby. It was different from what he was used to, and he briefly wondered if Ichigo had come back to finish the job. It was an absurd thought but the substitute soul reaper had a way of beating the odds. He was an example of that.

Leisurely making his way down the lit street, he didn't get very far before he heard a distinct female voice call out to him.

"Ah, you're awake!"

Narrowing his eyes at the cheery voice, he felt himself ready to attack. Again, the espada didn't get far when his efforts were thwarted and he found himself ramming head first into a hastily put up barrier.

The female in it glared heatedly at him. "That was rude." She appeared unphased by his clear attempt to hurt her. "You didn't even ask me my name. I saved you, y'know."

"Who are you?"

She smiled at that, "Good, you _do_ have manners." Sticking her hand out, she allowed the barrier she'd put up to fade away into nothingness. "I'm Kagome."

He didn't shake it, eyeing her with calculating eyes.

"You can try and kill me, but I feel like that'd waste all my hard-earned work."

She was quick, that much he would give her. "You say you saved me." He eventually settled on, trying to figure out exactly what this girl was. She almost reminded him of Orihime. However, she seemed more brash than anything and held herself with a confidence the former did not possess.

Nodding, Kagome thrust forth the bag of clothing. She didn't seem to mind he'd ignored her attempt at shaking hands. "I imagine you're curious, yes? How about we get you out of those first?"

He glanced indifferently at his tattered clothing, "No." Quick and to the point.

She was still smiling. He couldn't understand why, granted had just tried to kill her. Yet she stayed and tried to make pleasantries.

"You don't have to act so cold to me. I'm sure you're dying to know what happened. People don't just black out in the middle of the forest." She made sure to slip in a tiny piece of information that was sure to perk his interest.

"I'm not above killing you."

She actually laughed at that one, gliding past him. "I'm sure you aren't." He didn't dare touch her again, having felt a sort of painful shock from his earlier run-in with her power. "But you're curious, aren't you? I mean you no harm. If I wanted anything from you, I would have taken it when you were unconscious."

It annoyed him to admit that.

The raven-haired female glanced back at him, "You could have left the moment you woke up – to wherever you came from before. But you didn't." He'd only known this girl for the better half of five minutes and she was already picking him apart.

"So why not stay awhile?"

She wasn't sure if asking him to outright stay was a good move. Honestly, her barrier had been more of an instinctual move than anything. He was dangerous. Now that he was awake, she could get a read on him and his power rolled off him in waves. It made her skin tingle; the ominous aura brushing against her own in an almost tantalizing manner.

When he disappeared from view, Kagome bit back a sigh.

He was interesting. She wished she could have gotten to know him more.

"Ulquiorra."

Kagome nearly jumped, eyes darting in front of her. "Come again?"

His emerald green eyes bored impatiently into her own, "You told me your name. I give you mine."

It was a beautiful name, as beautiful as the male that stood before her. She liked it.

"Nice to meet you, Ulquiorra-san." He didn't bother to correct her. It wasn't as if he cared for titles and such. Instead, he turned that same impassive look towards her, "We will discuss more of what happened in your home."

She didn't get the chance to rebut him for being such an icicle, for he had already flash stepped in front of her and taken her into his arms. Alarmed, all she could do was gape as they went from standing in the street to her room.

"What."

She blinked, watching as the mysterious male stepped away nonchalantly. "This was faster."

"Uh yeah." Kagome agreed robotically, thrown for a loop. "Tea?" She weakly suggested, gesturing to her door.

* * *

This was all levels of awkward, she realized, sitting across Ulquiorra in her kitchen. Now that her guest was out of the danger zone, this wasn't the greatest of ideas on her part. Coughing to clear the silence, Kagome leaned back in her chair as she observed him. "How did you end up in the forest?"

Things were out of his hand. There were too many things he didn't know, so he remained silent.

"Don't remember huh?" The female chuckled, remembering all too often the times she'd woken up without an indication of where she was. "I found you in the forest and you were unconscious." He knew this. "But that's all I really know. The only reason I even found you was because of your aura."

She wasn't your average human. She shouldn't even have been able to sense him. He didn't get the feeling that she was all that powerful, but she could create barriers that kept him out.

"Anyways, I wasn't going to leave someone outside unconscious so I brought you home." She eyed his body, taking care to remain calm as she spoke next. "You were near death."

When Ulquiorra failed to look shocked, she assumed he was used to combat. The fact he carried a sword in such modern times told her that much.

"I remember." He finally agreed, "I died."

"Someone killed you."

He noted the steadily rising accusation in her voice, wondering why an outsider like her would care. It stung to admit defeat, but he merely nodded, closing his eyes as he did so.

"Will they come back for you?"

That was a question he wanted to ask himself. He had no doubt Ichigo or someone of the soul society would eventually find out about him. He knew he could hold his own against them, but did this girl know that?

Kagome was by no means the brightest star. She had a way of running into trouble, so it shouldn't have surprised anyone when she suddenly stood and took Ulquiorra's hands into her own, "I'll protect you Ulquiorra-san."

In the silence, all he could think was that the girl was stupid. She barely knew him. She found him hurt and beaten in the forest. He didn't even know what form he had taken. For all he knew, she could have found him in his released form. Most people would have run, but she had chosen to save him. It would be more trouble than it was worth, but still, she did this.

It would be all too easy to take advantage of her kindness.

"What do you have to gain from this?"

"It's always been my policy to help out whenever I can." Everything screamed that this was a trap he was walking into. Perhaps she was a spy. She was dangerous, maybe not like him, but in an entirely different way. If she ran into the wrong people, he had no doubt they'd recruit her into their fight.

Staring into her all too blue eyes, he found it hard to lie. "You don't want to associate with me, human."

"Kagome." She tactfully ignored his earlier sentence, dropping his hands as she went to fetch the tea that was screaming for their attention. "My name's Kagome."

He wondered why he'd never heard of or seen her before. Surely Aizen hadn't overlooked such a thing. The only thing he could think of was that she had recently moved here, having his suspicions confirmed when she hefted a small box on the table and began taking mugs out.

Things would have continued had Souta not chosen that moment to sleepily peek his head in, "Sis, what're you do-?" He took one look at his sister casually serving tea to the strange looking male in their kitchen and did the one thing he only knew how to, eyes zeroing in on the sword attached at his hip.

He screamed.

"Get away from him Kagome!" Running forward, Souta ducked to his sister's side, throwing his arm protectively in front of her. "Get out of our house or I'll call the police on you!"

'Weak,' Ulquiorra thought, sipping his drink.

"Uh, Souta?"

Her little brother threw a look up at her, "What're you doing, letting a man into the house?!"

Realizing just how misinterpreted her brother had taken things, she quickly felt her face heat up. "What?! No – ew!" Kagome smacked him on the head, ignoring his cry, "It's not like that you idiot!"

"Well, then who is he?!"

She couldn't exactly say she randomly picked him off the streets (or forests). "Well uh, he's um –"

" _Kagome!"_ Came Souta's incredulous cry, "Do you even know him?" He went back to eyeing Ulquiorra, "What do you want with my sister?"

'How did things become so warped?' She cringed as he continued to bombard the older male with question after question.

"Souta I don't thi-"

"I'll be taking my leave." Ulquiorra effectively silenced the two of them. "The tea was good."

They could only watch as their sudden guest suddenly wasn't there anymore, disappearing in the same way he had done before that had caught her off guard.

"Who was that?"

She had hoped he would remain shocked, but Souta was on her again. "Ulquiorra-san."

"Why was he in our house? Drinking tea?"

Kagome sighed, "He was hurt."

"He looked fine to me."

She glared down at him. "I healed him. I was asking what had happened when you barged in."

"Excuse me, but when I see some weirdo in our house at night with a _sword_ , I think I'm going to flip out."

When did he get so sassy? Ignoring that, she shook her head. "Whatever. He's gone now." Walking over to collect his drink, Kagome bit her lip. "I hope he'll be ok."

"If he can do that weird trick, I think he will be." Looking over at his sister's sad form, he felt a little guilty. "I'm sorry I got angry, but I was worried."

"No, you were right. I should have told you about him." She couldn't sense him nearby anymore. He really had gone. "He was hurt though, and I reacted without really thinking."

Nodding, Souta checked the doors. Not that they would keep a guy like him out, but it made him feel a little safer. "I'm sure he's grateful, but you don't have to go saving everyone y'know."

She knew was he was getting at.

It was time to let the past go. But she couldn't.

"I know."


	3. Hollow

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or Bleach

Chapter Three: Hollow

The boy had been an unexpected surprise. So caught up in observing the strange human before him, he had completely let it slip that there had been another person in the household. As the boy came barreling into the room, he noted he looked similar to the girl. However, he was nothing like her. He possessed no power that would deem him a threat.

Ulquiorra disregarded him without a second thought, contenting himself to watch the two argue. As they went on, it seemed as if the younger sibling knew the older was prone to troublesome situations. The way he protectively threw himself in front of her was admirable but foolish.

Humans were always foolish.

He had gotten the information he had desired, not that it really filled in the pieces much. At the very least, he knew no one but her had come across him when he first came into this world.

He could disappear quietly.

It was easy to leave while the two bickered. Once he was out of their home, he first had it in his mind to get away. It wouldn't do to have the girl follow him.

He did not have a solid plan of what to do. For the first time in his life, Ulquiorra found himself unsure. Aizen had given him purpose. He had found a contender to fight. That had been Ichigo. With his loss, it was like he was back to wandering the deserty sands of Las Noches. It disturbed him to think that was all he had known.

 _You really have become more human._

Ichigo's words came back to him. He wondered if that was the case, as he had no desire to go back to Aizen or partake in any meaningless fights the soul society would no doubt try to engage in.

 _I'll protect you Ulquiorra-san._

He thought back to the girl.

She was strange, inviting him into her home and then offering refuge. It wasn't like she could actually accomplish it, but he found himself wondering.

He wanted to know more about her strange powers.

* * *

Souta had thoughtfully chosen to ignore that night's incident. It had been little more than a week since her strange guest had come and gone, and Kagome was quickly growing tired of the mundane life she lived. Granted she had yet to go to school, she often spent her time at home while Souta went off to play.

She was bored out of her mind.

"How did I ever pass the days by?" Kagome mused aloud, "Things are so stale. Guess I'll go get dinner started."

She was quick to go out the door and shop for the food they needed. "It was so much easier when mom cooked…" She muttered, shutting the door. As she walked, she tried her best not to think of home. Leaving made it easier to ignore the past, but she constantly found herself reminded anyway.

'I miss them.'

It was a bitter truth for her to accept she wouldn't be going back to the feudal era anymore.

Perhaps that's why she tried to grasp onto Ulquiorra-san.

Her self-loathing was cut short when she heard an inhuman roar. The sound made her queasy, "W-what?" Clasping her hands over her ears, she looked to the people around her.

They were walking along unfazed.

'Do they not hear it?'

Normally, she would have considered herself crazy, but she was used to situations like this.

'Sorry Souta,' she thought, running in the opposite direction of their house, 'I'll be home a little late.'

It didn't take her long to find the source of the screaming. Coming up an alley way, she quickly found it to be something she'd never seen before.

'It's not a demon.' While it certainly didn't match the category of anything normal, it's aura screamed something akin to Ulquiorra. But it was also different. She wondered why she'd never sensed such a thing before.

Why were these things happening now?

Currently, the thing was rampaging about. The more she focused on it, the more she seemed to notice the strange mask covering its face.

'Ulquiorra-san had something similar, although it only covered part of him.'

"Hey!" She called, watching as the monster looked in her direction. "What are you?" This probably wasn't the smartest idea, but this was quickest. She figured she could always purify the thing.

It didn't seem to register anything she said. Rather, it only screamed once more, and charged at her.

"Hey!" She yelped, throwing up her trade mark barrier. It rammed without care into it, screeching all the while. "Watch it buddy!" It kept pushing itself against the pink sphere, determined to get to her. She would have given it a tongue lashing, but her attention soon found itself on the small, limp body.

"Hey…" Kagome murmured, feeling dread well within her stomach. "What did you do?" She looked closer at the monster, seeing no traces of blood but she could feel no life in the area. Ignoring the being, she quickly worked in her purification and the monster recoiled in pain. Its flesh sizzled but it was steadfast and again tried to push its way in.

"Move!" The priestess shouted, running past and to the body. She didn't bother to be gentle, instead allowing her body to take on a holy glow and hearing a deafening screech as it tried to touch her.

It didn't. The moment it came into contact with her skin, the huge monster burst into pieces.

"Are you ok? Hey, hey!" Kagome shouted, ignoring the dead beast. Below her, she held a small child no less than seven. Her worries only deepened when she looked down and found a chain attached to the boy. "What is this?"

As she tried to tug it off, she was surprised when she felt a sword present itself at the edge of her neck. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Kagome initially froze, but then smacked the blade out of her way. "Are you insane?" She gripped, gathering the boy into her arms. "Hospital! Where is the nearest hospital?!"

The female dressed in black looked incredulously at the girl below her, "What?"

"Don't what me!" She shrieked, "This child is hurt! We have to do something!" When the smaller girl only continued to gaze at her dumbfounded, she blew out a breath of hot air. "Forget it, I'm leaving!"

"W-wait!"

"Be quiet!" Hurrying away, she leaped over the ashes of what was once that monster and sprinted down the road.

"Get _back_ here!" Glowing lightly, the girl threw out her hand. _"Bakudo no. 4 Crawling Rope!"_

Had Kagome been looking, she would have seen the brightly colored ropes heading her way. As it was, she only felt herself being restrained, "Wha-?! Hey!"

"I told you to stop."

Throwing an angry glare behind her, Kagome cursed. "Can you not see what I'm trying to do?! You're not helping!"

"I see you're running off with plus." Walking closer, she watched the stern looking girl bring out her sword again. "Strange, are you like Ichigo?"

She only saw the sword, "Stay away from me."

"I need that boy."

"Over my dead body." Kagome hissed, trying her best to wriggle away. "You're crazy!"

When she failed to listen, she did the only thing she knew how to. She made another barrier, throwing it up so that there was a sizeable difference between the two. As it went up, the newcomer was shocked to see her bakudo shatter and the strange female go free. "What?"

"See ya!" She was running in a dead sprint away again, keeping care to remain within the safety of her barieer.

"Dammit!" Rukia cursed, taking after the strange girl. There was no way she could capture her with that strange power. She was little more than surprised when the pink light disappeared and seemed to grow up from the ground around _her_.

It wasn't graceful, but the soul reaper skidded to a stop before she could touch the pink light. "Hey!" She yelled in frustration, watching as her prey became a blob in the distance. "You don't know what you're doing!"

She could only curse herself as she called Ichigo from her bunny pager.

* * *

The child was still unresponsive, which was something that worried Kagome to no end. Disregarding the weirdo back there, her only priority was to get them to the hospital and receive medical treatment. She wondered if their parents were worried, and that only furthered her resolve to run as quick as possible.

Before she could wonder just where the nearest hospital was, Ulquiorra appeared in front of her. "Stop."

She damn near ran him over, instead choosing to shove the kid into his own arms and whip out her cell. "Ulquiorra-san, good to see you but you gotta help me! This child is hurt and there's someone following me!"

He knew exactly who was following her but pushed that aside. "The child is already dead."

Shaking her head vigorously, she began dialing 911. "We can still save him."

"It's useless. This is a soul."

She didn't press call, blinking confused eyes up at him. "What."

She knew so little, "That soul reaper could help him."

"She was going to hurt him."

He could sense the two oncoming soul reapers nearing, "Leave him. If you engage them any longer, they will no doubt take you to the soul society."

Aizen would eventually find her.

"Soul society? What? Are you nuts?"

He had watched her so easily dispatch of that hollow and break the bakudo that had been placed on her. Her spiritual pressure was strong, even if he could hardly sense it.

"I can't leave." Kagome stressed, "I don't know what you're on about but I have to help." Looking closer at the chain on the boy's chest, she could see it chipping away. "What's wrong with him?"

Impatient, he grabbed ahold of her wrist. "The chain is eroding away and he will degenerate into a hollow."

"Ulquiorra-san?"

"We can't linger any longer."

"Wha-?"

They disappeared just as the two soul reapers came running.

"They were just here!" Rukia cursed, looking down at her screen. "Where did she go?"

"There was someone else with them." Ichigo could sense something similar, but he couldn't put his finger on it. "Perhaps they took them away?"

"There was only a girl and that boy."

He hadn't seen them, so perhaps the strange reiastu he was picking up was a product of that pink light he'd seen encasing Rukia. It baffled him because it was something he'd never seen before. He couldn't break it, so all they could do was pitifully wait for it to go away on its own. Luckily, it had; the power receding back into the ground after a matter of minutes.

By then, the strange girl and boy had gone.

"I'll report this back to soul society." Rukia sighed, clearly displeased with herself.

"Don't worry, we'll find them." Her orange hair friend soothed, "They're bound to show up again."


	4. Preface

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or Bleach

Chapter Four: Preface

"Would you stop doing that?" He released the girl as she stepped out of his personal space before she turned her attentive stare to the child still in his arms. "You said he was turning into a hollow."

"He's been here too long." He replied as he allowed the boy to fall from his arms.

"Ah!" Kagome cried, running forward to grab him. "What are you doing?!"

The indifferent male spared a glance at the unconscious boy, "He can't be saved."

"You don't know if you won't try." She shot back, taking a closer look at the chain connected to his chest. She could still see flakes of it chipping off. "All I need to do is get rid of this, right?"

Ulquiorra would have called her a fool, but he allowed himself to watch as she seemed to hesitate before her hand took on a pink hue. When she pressed her hand onto the chain, he thought the boy was done for. He had seen how the hollow had violently reacted to her powers but that didn't happen.

The chain glowed white briefly before the boy's body did as well. In a moment, the metal began to break apart and his eyes slowly fluttered open.

Kagome looked at him with concern, "Are you alright?"

"…I was waiting… Will I get to see my mom again?"

She didn't know the peculiarities surrounding him, so she turned inquisitive eyes to the Espada beside her.

"You'll be going to the soul society. Your mother should be there." That may or may not be true, but the boy didn't know that.

That seemed to be the confirmation he needed, "Thank you."

His body began to dissolve into white specks of light. When he had faded completely, Kagome looked down at her hands.

Could she have done this for Kikyo?

"You're an oddity." Ulquiorra broke her train of thought, looking down at her. "That shouldn't be possible."

She didn't choose to comment on that, looking at the male before her; he was still in one piece. "Welcome back." Kagome smiled, "It was lonely without someone to talk to."

He hardly thought he was a suitable conversation partner but felt oddly warmed by her words. "You find yourself in the strangest of situations."

The priestess shrugged, "It's always been that way."

Ulquiorra was pressed to inquire as to what she meant, but he was more focused on getting away from where they were at. No doubt the soul reapers would come looking for her.

"Go home."

"Ehhh…" She whined, "You just got here."

She had such little sense of danger. "I'll visit tomorrow."

Kagome didn't seem convinced, "Will you?"

An Espada promising to come back was laughable, but he agreed anyway.

* * *

"Are you going to school today?" Souta questioned, lacing up his shoes.

Kagome shook her head, "Not today."

"You _will_ go, right?"

"In a week." She didn't think he would understand. Ever since she had returned, she had felt a little out of place. Well, a lot out of place. Her role in life had been completed since completing the Shikon and she found herself floundering.

Souta reluctantly nodded. When he left, she took a moment to stare at the door.

"Is it alright not to go?"

"Ack!" Kagome jumped in surprise. "Don't sneak up on me!"

Ulquiorra gave her a neutral expression, "I wasn't sneaking."

"Whatever, you scared me."

"What are you?"

"…straight to the point, huh?" She supposed after last night's demonstration, she couldn't play things off as innocently as she had before. "I'm a priestess."

He had deduced that much. In his long lifetime, he had often run across beings like her in the past. However, her healing powers were different. The fact she had been able to bring him back from death's door and purify a soul lost to corruption was a whole new matter entirely.

When he looked less than convinced, Kagome offered a rueful smile. "I'm no one special, really."

Before he could reply, Kagome tilted her head to the side in thoughtful contemplation.

Outside, Ichigo and Rukia walked by her house on their way to school. The two's spiritual energy remained visible without a care in the world while she and Ulquiorra took care to reign theirs in.

"…I take it these are the people who hurt you?" Kagome eventually commented when they had passed, unaware of their names. She had noticed how Ulquiorra went to great lengths to stay away from them. More than that, these were the only spiritual powers she had noticed in Katakura town.

"Perhaps."

"Oh, come off it," she huffed, "I saved you once. I can do it again."

He didn't like being in someone's debt, "It doesn't concern you."

"Hah?" The teenager incredulously said. "If you won't tell me, maybe I'll ask them myself."

She was making her way to the door. When she grasped the doorknob, Ulquiorra was by her. He thought about threatening her, but those ideas were quickly discarded once he thought about it more. Intimidation would have no effect on her. It would only serve to provoke her anger.

Kagome spared him a glance, "Are you willing to talk now?"

Humans were troublesome, he thought.

* * *

"Wait… so you're telling me, _you're_ the bad guy?"

"I've no wish to return to Aizen," Ulquiorra mildly defended. "I've outlived my usefulness."

She seemed to be taking the news quite well, appearing unperturbed by what he had just revealed to her.

"You lost your purpose too, huh?"

At that tidbit, the Espada leaned closer. "What does that mean?"

It was annoying to see her expression change to one of indifference as Kagome shook her head. "It's in the past now."

"Hn," Ulquiorra made a noise akin to discontent.

"If those soul reapers come by, maybe I'll tell you."

"They would use you," he replied before he realized it.

"Sounds like you're concerned for me." It was an off-handed comment that spoke volumes of her amusement. "Ulquiorra-san~."

He was about to say she was nothing but a human when Kagome continued on, "Bad guy or not, I'll still protect you."

He could admit she could hold her own, but to what extent? He felt no desire to fight her, so he wasn't sure what her limits were.

"You're a fool," Ulquiorra articulated, staring into her sincere blue eyes. There was no doubt in his mind that she would sacrifice everything to help him. It was strange. He hadn't spent much time with humans, but he knew at the very least their own survival was put before everything else.

If only she actually knew what he'd done in the past.

"I like talking to you." Kagome said, "You understand me."

When he grabbed ahold of her hand, she wondered if he was going to attack her. She watched as he flipped her palm side up, staring at the tiny scars that littered her hands from her improper technique in holding the bow.

"You know combat."

"You could say that," she gently pulled her hand away, "But that was ages ago." He watched her eyes grow distant, "And I can't go back."

He wondered what 'ages' ago meant. From the looks of things, she was no older than eighteen. He'd only ever seen the residents of Katakura town engage in fights so young, and that was a usual occurrence that had only happened this one time. This girl was a newcomer. Where had she been for her to learn to defend herself?

She was very reminiscent of a Quincy, but she was different.

"You fight but there doesn't seem to be a scratch on you." Kagome unhappily huffed, "Your skin is still so pretty like the rest of you."

He had never cared about his appearance before. From what he knew, his looks were frightening. None had dared to approach him without cause, but it seemed she found him lovely. The thought made him slightly pleased.

They would have continued on had the doorbell not rang.

"Who could that be?" Kagome wondered.

Ulquiorra remained indifferent, but he was quickly growing suspicious at the lack of a spiritual aura. His eyes narrowed when she went to answer it.

"Wait."

"Mm?" The priestess cocked her head back at him, hand poised on the door.

The doorbell rang again, impatiently. When he failed to answer her, she shook her head and pulled the door open.

She blinked when she saw a glowing arrow pointed directly at her face.

"Wha-"

The arrow flew.

Ulquiorra was there to pull her aside.

"HEY!" She shrieked, seeing it blow a hole in the wall where she had previously stood. "My house!"

"I thought you were dead," Uryū glared at him. "What are you doing to her?"

As suspected, Ulquiorra looked at the Quincy currently pointing another arrow at him. He was, after all, highly skilled in sensing spiritual presences over Shinigami.

" _What are you doing?!"_

Uryū looked confused for a moment when Kagome yelled at him. He had never known a human to resist rescue. He was shocked when the girl summoned up her own bow and arrow from thin air out of pink reishi.

Ulquiorra found himself fascinated by the act. He had yet to see more of her prowess with spiritual energy. He was almost tempted to step back and see where things led but letting Uryū leave alone meant surrendering himself to the prodding of both Aizen and the soul society.

"You're not a Quincy or a Shinigami, so how?"

'A nuisance,' he thought, watching the Quincy grow interested in her.

Uryū was thrown off guard when Ulquiorra appeared in front of him, throwing a deft punch to his stomach. He was thrown back into a passing wall, the structure collapsing under the sheer weight of his punch.

"I didn't think you'd kill him!" Kagome gasped as she let her own weapon dissolve, "Ohmygod!"

He impassively watched her jump over the rubble to the unconscious male.

"He would have alerted the others."

"They're gonna find out either way if he's dead! How do we explain that away?"

He didn't want to admit he had acted in the heat of the moment. Turning his head, he expanded his own aura.

No one had noticed.

"Heal him."

"I got that," Kagome angrily muttered, bringing a hand to his stomach. She assumed he'd more than likely broken a few things. When she guessed he was out of the red, she sighed in relief. She hadn't healed him completely; just enough where he could move. "Help me bring him inside."

Ulquiorra looked less than pleased.

"We can't just leave him here. What if someone finds him?"

Her response to that was the Espada ungracefully hefting Uryū onto his shoulders. She could only hope people didn't find the broken wall suspicious. 'There goes our security deposit.' Shaking her head in disappointment, she found that the male had been dumped onto the couch.

"Okay," Kagome evenly breathed in and out to retain her sanity, "Better than my own room, I guess."She wondered if the brief look of displeasure on Ulquiorra's face was real.

Now that she had a better chance to look at the intruder, she noticed he was wearing a school uniform. 'We attacked a high school student!?'

Her thoughts were interrupted when she took notice of something else.

"Wait, that's _my_ high school uniform."

In his pockets, she fished out his student ID card, "Uryū Ishida?" Glancing down at him, she frowned. "He said he was a Quincy."

"A forgotten clan of hunters," Ulquiorra summed up. "I initially thought you were of them."

"You mean that sweet bow? It's different from mine."

He could see similarities and differences between the two. It slightly annoyed him he didn't have the answers he wanted, but he was in no position to force it out of her.

When she saw that, she dropped the teasing. "Sorry." He looked confused, so she continued. "I didn't think they'd find us so soon."

"I miscalculated," He admitted after seeing her expression.

"Eh?"

He had truly forgotten about the Quincy after the battle with Ichigo. Their battle had lasted less than five minutes, and he had dismissed the weak human from his mind. How odd it was him to be the one to find them.

He'd no doubt the male would run off to Ichigo when the chance presented itself.

"He will tell," Ulquiorra spoke after a moment. It seemed unlikely she would kill him.

"Yeah."

"He's seen your powers."

Nodding, Kagome graced him with a smile. "It's not like I'm going to let them whisk me away."

He had a feeling anyone who saw would want to.

(A/N: Uryū arrives on the scene! Or, he passes out on it.)


	5. Confrontation

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or Bleach

Chapter Five: Confrontation

Uryū had not shown up to school. While that normally wouldn't have been a problem for any high school student, it was _Uryū_. The glasses toting male never missed school if he could help it.

The thought worried Ichigo.

"I'm sure he's fine," Rukia offered during lunch, biting into her food. "Maybe he overslept."

"Have you ever known him to just not show up?"

She couldn't argue with that. "How about we go visit him after school, then?"

"We visit him now."

The soul reaper heaved a troublesome sigh when her companion came to the conclusion. "You're too careless with school," she mumbled in response, but otherwise didn't object to the suggestion. Not that she could do much when he made up his mind. It would be easier if she went along and they might make it back in time for the remainder of classes that day.

Seeing as how they ate on the rooftop, it was easier to switch out their bodies.

"I leave it to you Kon," Ichigo spared a heated glare to the soul, "Don't do anything weird."

The lion plushie in his body gave an easy-going grin, "Whatever do you mean?"

"Let's go," Rukia pulled him away before they could get into a fight. "It'll be faster if we just look for his spiritual energy. There's no guarantee he would be at home by now."

* * *

She knew Ulquiorra would harm the male if given the chance, so she sat with him instead.

"It would be easier," Ulquiorra had told her.

"I'm not going to murder people left and right just because it's convenient," she'd retorted back, giving him a deadpan look. "I'm sure he can be reasoned with."

"Unlikely."

Kagome shrugged, appearing far too comfortable given the situation. "We'll figure something out."

"You don't know who you're dealing with."

The miko looked back to the unconscious male snoozing on her couch. "From what you told me, I think I know plenty. Besides, wouldn't it be easier if you got things out in the open instead of hiding?"

She got up when she noticed his breathing was beginning to quicken and stepped back. Uryū's eyes slid open not a second later before his face contorted into pain and he groaned.

"Careful," she chided, "I healed you up, but not completely. I wasn't sure if you were going to try to fight me once you woke up."

The scenario was far too familiar for Ulquiorra, who briefly wondered if she had a track record for picking up strays and nursing them back to health. Not that he would allow it in this case.

He stepped closer to her when the Quincy seemed to register what was going on and pulled himself up as best as he could. "What's going on here?" He demanded, hand going to his side. "Why haven't you killed me?"

"Yikes," Kagome commented, seeing liquid venom in the other's eyes, "For someone who almost died, you're quite talkative." When it looked like he wasn't going to cooperate, she offered a tentative smile and put up her hands in peace. "Look, I think we got off on the wrong foot here."

"There's an Arrancar in your house!"

"His name is Ulquiorra-san." She frowned, "And I'd appreciate you not yelling either."

Uryū found himself shocked into silence at how nonchalant this strange woman was being at the fact she currently had a killing machine in her house.

"My name's Kagome," she introduced herself as. "I just moved here." She gestured to the otherwise silent male beside her. "And met him."

The validity of her statement was questionable at best but given that he hadn't heard about or seen her gave some measure of truth that she did just arrive. How that tied into her connection with Ulquiorra was another matter entirely.

"You're not going to kill me?"

"Heck no." Kagome laughed. "How would I ever get away with murder, much less commit it?"

His blue eyes seemed to zero in on Ulquiorra in silent questioning.

"He's not murdering you either!" She slapped the other male on his shoulder in an attempt to show that he was tame, but that only served to make Uryū more uncomfortable.

He waited for the Arrancar to slam her into the wall for even daring to touch his person, or worse - kill her, but that moment never came. The only thing that showed on his face was a twitch of an eyebrow before he walked away.

The dread that had begun to build in his stomach faded away some, but he still felt anxious. "Why is he here?"

"I healed him."

Uryū snorted, "Impossible. I saw him die with my own eyes."

The male who'd begun walking away stilled, not that any of the two noticed at the moment.

"Ichigo killed him, I'm sure!"

"Perhaps," Kagome agreed, "But I found him and now he's here, is he not?" She found herself growing a little irritated at the way he kept referring to Ulquiorra.

Her declaration quieted him quickly.

"Are you working with Aizen?"

If she really could heal at that level, she would become a problem.

The words were enough provocation to spur Ulquiorra into action. His hands wrapped around the other's neck in an instant, taking them both by surprise.

"Guh-!"

"She's none of your concern," he uttered, looking apathetically down at the struggling male.

"Ulquiorra-san!"

Uryū clawed at the hands-on top of his neck, trying his hardest to yank them away but his strength paled in comparison. "You said… you wouldn't kill me…!"

"She said that." He'd made no such promises.

"Ulquiorra!" Kagome finally yelled, slapping his hand away with a bit of spiritual energy infused into it. "I think we have bigger problems!"

Uryū gasped in fresh air, coughing. He noted the spiritual energies of both Ichigo and Rukia approaching, feeling a bit of relief. That was short lived when Kagome yanked him up, "Your friends can be reasoned with, yes?"

He stared into her own blue eyes, "Not with _him_ around."

Kagome's eyes narrowed, surprising him when all traces of friendliness died, "I see." He watched her pull back before she summoned the pink bow again from thin air. "Then, we can just fight it out."

He didn't have time to comment that she was indeed working with Aizen when the front door burst open.

" _Uryū!"_

"OUTSIDE!" Kagome yelled, firing an arrow that had the two soul reapers jumping back in alarm. Ulquiorra also felt some measure of surprise at the fact she was the first to draw a weapon and use it.

"What the-?!" Rukia gaped, "It's you!"

Kagome offered a smile, "Yes, me. Can we take this away from my house?"

"Ulquiorra?!" Ichigo none to brightly pointed out when he also exited, holding the Quincy's arm behind his back with ease. He had never expected he'd seen the Arrancar again. "How dare you come back for Orihime!"

"I got this one," Rukia stated as she took her stance towards the miko. "You got away once, but I won't let it happen again. I've already alerted the soul society."

Kagome notched another arrow, the pink energy molding itself to her hands. She chose to ignore the latter part of her statement, "Perhaps we can come to an agreement of sorts?"

At her side, Ichigo was quick to draw his Zanpakto and point it towards the Arrancar. He was interested in the capabilities of the girl, but Ulquiorra was a more pressing matter. "Let Uryū go!"

Ulquiorra cast his gaze towards the miko in silent questioning. Was she truly going to fight?

"Over here!" Ichigo yelled in warning, bringing down his sword. Ulquiorra sidestepped it easily, letting go of the Quincy who tumbled down against the wall. He paused for a moment to inquire about the state of his friend, who spoke before he could even get any words out.

"I'm fine," glasses grunted, "Focus on your fight."

Seeing his friend in pain seemed to anger the orange-haired teenager, who turned deadly eyes to him. "How _dare_ you hurt Uryū!" With renewed strength, he charged Ulquiorra again.

Kagome had notched her arrow, letting it fly with pink energy that left Rukia floundering. She could see no way to throw up a barrier as she once could, so she opted for trying to deflect it with a concentrated attack from her ice sword.

All that seemed to go out the window when it was cut through with ease, and she braced herself for the onslaught of what was to come. The thought of being met with her strange energy had her shutting her eyes in panic.

That never came as Ichigo threw himself in front of her, taking the brunt of it. He let out an indignant cry before crumpling into a heap before them.

"Ichigo!" Rukia began worriedly, sword falling from her grasp. "Are you alright?"

She could see tendrils of smoke rising from his clothes, but he seemed otherwise unharmed. His sword lay reverted back in its regular state.

"F…fine." He grunted out at her, struggling to rise.

"Oh dear, I'm surprised you took that," Kagome commented, notching another arrow. "I doubt you'll take to the next one."

She was surprised to see the soul reaper throw herself protectively in front of him, "Don't you touch him!"

The miko paused, gauging to see if the boy would be getting up any time soon. She knew he was a substitute soul reaper, so perhaps that's why he lay unhurt for the most part. Clucking her tongue, Kagome cast a glance to the Arrancar by her side. He remained free of injuries.

Uryū had hobbled over to the pair, despite his wounds. "We should leave."

The request was unthinkable to Rukia but taking one look at their trump card laid out on the floor was all it took for her to concede. She cast them one last glare before she heaved up the unconscious male on her shoulder and Uryū tried his best to balance himself.

"It would be unwise to let them live." Ulquiorra finally said, catching their attention. The three stiffened, well aware should they choose to end their lives – Rukia would be the one trying to stave off their attacks.

"I'm sure," Kagome nodded, but she surprised them all by turning around and walking into her house. "But with this, we've established we're willing to negotiate a deal."

Rukia, despite herself, shook with hot fury. "What do you want!?" She called back, ignoring Uryū's caution that they were lucky to have walked away at all. "You – you _monster_!"

She wasn't sure if she was talking to the girl or Ulquiorra when they shut the door.


End file.
